Accidents and I Love Yous
by Sarah9
Summary: Sorry... just a title change. No updates. But a sequel is in the works! Luke gets injured, and Lorelai takes care of him... LL all the way! Reviews appreciated!
1. The Accident

Accidents and I Love Yous  
  
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own the Gilmore Girls, or any of the characters, or any of the brilliant plot ideas. Please don't sue me. I don't have any money to speak of, so it would be disappointing.  
  
Rating: PG-13, maybe… maaaaaybe R….  
  
A/N: This is a Luke/Lorelai story all the way. Luke is inured, and Lorelai takes care of him. Read to find out more. And, I ALWAYS appreciate reviews :)  
  
Chapter 1: The Accident  
  
Luke had never trusted weather forecasters. They were usually right about fifty percent of the time. And they always erred on the side of caution, predicting ten inches of snow, instead of one. People panicked, stocked up on canned goods and bottled water as if the world was going to end, and holed up in their houses. All based on what amounted to a guess on the part of a semi-qualified news anchor.  
  
But this time, Luke admitted, they had been right. The weather was terrible. Luke had known as soon as he had merged onto the expressway that the driving would be bad, and that it would probably take him twice as long to get back to Stars Hollow.  
  
When he had left that morning, he had intended to get some quick repairs made on his truck, and to finish up a few other pressing errands. A quick trip, so he could be back at the diner to relieve Caesar before closing time. But his usual auto shop was out of the one replacement part he needed, and the had been forced to drive around Hartford, looking for an auto parts supplier that had a part in stock for a twenty year old truck.   
  
Which had left him with less time to finish his other unpleasant errands.  
  
Which had left him in a really, really bad mood.  
  
Luke squinted, trying to see through the sheets of rain as he drove, in what he sincerely hoped was a straight line, along the expressway.   
  
But he didn't need this. His life was already a mess. His muscles were tense, and his head was beginning to ache from the constant squinting. But the weather did suit his mood at the moment.  
  
Dark.  
  
Dreary.  
  
Depressed.  
  
A year ago, he never would have guessed that his life would turn out the way it had. Married to a woman he didn't love...   
  
In love with a woman he could never have...   
  
The whole situation would have made him laugh, if it wasn't so damned depressing.   
  
Today, he had taken care of one of those problems, at least. He hadn't gone to Hartford just to have his truck fixed, although it had been necessary. No, that had just been an excuse, a cover story to tell everyone in town.   
  
He had gone for a divorce. To finalize what both he and Nicole had seen coming since they had gotten married to begin with.  
  
The whole thing had been doomed from the start... Luke had known it the second he had said "I do" on that cruise ship. He had blamed his doubts on post-wedding jitters—had figured that he would grow into the marriage thing.   
  
But he hadn't.  
  
Although, he admitted to himself, it wasn't the marriage that had bothered him. In fact, marriage was one of the few things that he really, really wanted in his life. Someone to come home to. Someone to talk to. Someone to love.   
  
No. Marriage wasn't the problem at all. The problem had been the person he had married. Nicole. She was great.   
  
Sweet.   
  
Loving.   
  
Intelligent.   
  
Funny.   
  
Everything he figured he could want in a spouse. She had fit the mold. But something had been missing with Nicole. Passion. Personality. Something...   
  
Luke knew what it was—knew what Nicole had been missing—thought he had never admitted it to anyone. Even to himself.  
  
She wasn't Lorelai.  
  
And therein lay the problem. With him, it was always Lorelai. It always had been Lorelai. And after countless mentions of her caffeine addiction, her daughter, her crazy antics at the diner, Nicole had finally realized that it always would be Lorelai.  
  
So they had decided to call it quits. It had been a mutual decision—friendly. And it was better for both of them. Nicole was free to find someone who loved her the way she deserved to be loved. And Luke... well, Luke was free to continue on as he had, loving Lorelai from afar as she went from boyfriend to boyfriend, without any clue as to his feelings for her. She would continue on as she had.  
  
Falling in love.  
  
Getting her heart broken.  
  
Repeat.  
  
And he would be there for her every time. Just like he always was. The loyal diner man. She would cry on his shoulder, and his heart would break for her. And she would move on, and find someone new—someone who wasn't him—and his heart would break all over again.  
  
But he was Luke, and he would shrug it off. They would go on with their friendly banter every day—Lorelai demanding coffee, Luke refusing, even as he reached for the pot to pour her a cup.  
  
And if that's all he could have—if that's the only role he could ever play in Lorelai Gilmore's life, then he would take it. Because Luke, the guy who didn't need anyone, needed her.   
  
Luke muttered under his breath as the wind picked up, blowing sheets of rain against the windshield, and making it that much harder for him to see the road. At least, he thought wryly, the bad weather gave him something else to focus on.  
  
Something other than his failed marriage.   
  
Something other than Lorelai.  
  
He recalled in the back of his mind that it was Friday night, and that Lorelai and Rory were probably at their customary Friday night dinner with the Gilmores. He silently prayed that they would spend the night in Hartford—that they wouldn't drive home with the roads like they were.  
  
And then, he cursed himself for again thinking about Lorelai.   
  
Luke sat forward, trying to decipher a shape he had seen out of the corner of his eye. He shook his head in frustration, unable to distinguish anything more than ten feet in front of the truck in the downpour.   
  
It wasn't until too late that he saw that a tree had fallen and was now blocking two lanes of the highway. Luke slammed on his brakes, his truck fishtailing on the slippery road, and narrowly missing the fallen tree. Luke braced himself as the truck swerved off of the road, plowed through the dense underbrush in the ditch beside the road, and lurched to a stop, the momentum slamming Luke forward, his forehead smacking into the steering wheel.  
  
And then there was silence—nothing but the sound of the rain, lessened by the canopy of trees that bordered the expressway. Luke swore under his breath, his heart pounding in his chest. His head was throbbing, and he reached up, touching his fingertips gingerly to his temple, feeling blood.   
  
Lots of blood.  
  
"Damnit," Luke mumbled, fighting back a sudden wave of panic. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he again touched the large cut on his forehead. It wasn't as bad as it seemed, he reasoned. He remembered someone saying that head wounds always bled more—that they usually weren't as serious as they first appeared. Nothing that required a trip to the hospital, he figured. Wincing, Luke pressed his palm to the cut, hoping to stem the flow of blood.   
  
His eyes scanned his surroundings, and he groaned. The front of his truck was smashed in, where it had rammed into a large oak tree. So much for the repairs. Looks like he would be making another trip to Hartford. To buy a new truck.  
  
Even as the initial shock of the accident began to wear off, Luke could feel himself becoming lightheaded. He checked the cut on his head again, and found that it was still bleeding freely. With a groan, he reached into his glove compartment, pulling out an old dishrag that he usually used to clear off condensation from the windshield when he got up early in the morning. Slowly, he folded the rag and pressed it against his forehead. He blinked slowly, as his ears began to ring, and his vision began to blur. He was just starting to rethink a visit to the hospital, when his world went black.  
  
TBC....  
  
A/N: Hope you liked! Please let me know what you think!! 


	2. A Scary Discovery

Accidents and I Love Yous  
  
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own the Gilmore Girls, or any of the characters, or any of the brilliant plot ideas. Please don't sue me. I don't have any money to speak of, so it would be disappointing.  
  
Rating: PG-13, maybe… maaaaaybe R….  
  
A/N: Here's chapter two! I hope that everybody likes the story so far!! The title of the story will make sense eventually…in case anyone's confused… Please review!!  
  
Chapter 2: A Scary Discovery  
  
Lorelai squealed unhappily, her hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel of her Jeep. She had left her parents' house over two hours ago, but the downpour had forced her to drive much more slowly than she would have liked, especially tonight.  
  
Her cell phone had been ringing off the hook for the last half-an-hour—probably Rory calling to check up on the aftermath of this week's Friday night dinner—but Lorelai was too afraid to take her eyes off of the road to answer.  
  
"Stupid mother nature," Lorelai grumbled. She peered through her windshield, trying to find the lines marking the lanes of the highway. "Of all the days to be crappy out, it had to be today."  
  
Friday.  
  
She hated Fridays to begin with. The obligatory dinners at her parents' house were enough to ruin the day all on their own. But tonight had been ten times worse. Not only had she been forced to eat some kind of disgusting, fish-related entrée, but she had to eat it without Rory to roll her eyes at across the table. Lorelai was seriously thinking about calling up the president of Yale. Because of him, her daughter was spending way too much time studying, and not nearly enough time with her mother, mocking Emily Gilmore's scary dinner dishes.  
  
But the strange food hadn't been the worst part of the evening. Not by a long shot. The elder Gilmores were barely speaking to each other. Emily was still upset with Richard for spending so much time on business, and Richard was angry because Emily was angry. So Lorelai spent over an hour keeping up a one-way dialogue with herself, on a multitude of subjects—everything from the logistics of the Bennifer breakup to the outrageous price of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey at the grocery store.   
  
And then Jason had arrived.  
  
And after listening to Jason and her father discuss business for another hour, she'd had an epiphany. She had realized that she and Jason had absolutely nothing in common. Beyond sharing quirky jokes and funny stories, what had they ever really talked about? Had she ever shared her concerns with him—about the Inn, about Rory, about life in general? No. Could she see herself marrying Jason? No.  
  
So she had broken up with him. Right there in front of her parents, who were, to put it mildly, shocked at the revelation that she had been dating Jason to begin with.  
  
Jason, on the other hand, hand been relatively understanding. Things had been tense—forced—between them lately, and Lorelai guessed that he had been expecting a breakup eventually.  
  
So now, her parents weren't talking to her, Rory was gone, and all Lorelai wanted was to get home, crawl into bed, and hide under the covers for the rest of her life.   
  
Her eyes remained focused on the road, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the familiar sign informing her that Stars Hollow was only three miles away.   
  
She was exhausted. Her eyes hurt, and she suddenly found herself craving a cup of Luke's coffee. Maybe, if she was really lucky, the diner would still be open, and Luke would be willing to listen to her rant about the terrible night she'd had. Somehow, it seemed like he was always there when she needed someone to talk to. In fact, she'd noticed that Luke had been staying late at the diner on Friday nights, almost as if he was waiting for her to come in. Almost as if he enjoyed listening to her Friday night dinner rants.  
  
Lorelai laughed. She knew that Luke stayed open late when he was busy. Thinking that he stayed open to talk to her was just a crazy, self-centered thought on her part.   
  
Or was it wishful thinking?  
  
The thought caught her off guard. Everyone in town seemed to think that she and Luke were destined to get together. She'd always laughed it off, saying that they were just good friends, and nothing more.   
  
And for awhile, that's what she'd believed, too.  
  
For awhile.  
  
But lately, for some reason, there was a tiny voice in the back of her mind asking "What if?"  
  
What if Luke wasn't married?  
  
What if Luke did have feelings for her?  
  
Lorelai shook her head. Luke was married. And he didn't have feelings for her. He'd known her for years, and if he felt anything more than friendship for her, he would have made a move by now.   
  
Right?  
  
Lorelai groaned. It didn't matter. It was irrelevant. Because Luke was married.   
  
Directing her attention back to the road, Lorelai noticed that the rain had started to taper off significantly. She took in a deep breath. Maybe her night was finally looking up.  
  
Even as the thought crossed her mind, her eyes came to rest on the trunk of a very large oak tree in the middle of the road, blocking two of the four lanes. Lorelai groaned, all thoughts of coffee vanishing from her mind as she slowed to a stop in front of the tree.  
  
At least, she thought, it looked like the lane for oncoming traffic was clear. If she was cautious, she could edge around the tree without much trouble.   
  
Lorelai scanned her surroundings, grateful for the break from the stressful driving conditions. It was then that she saw the truck in the ditch. She shook her head, feeling sorry for the owner of the truck, who had likely been forced to walk the remaining three miles to Stars Hollow for help.   
  
Lorelai sighed, then threw her car into reverse, hoping to navigate around the fallen tree, when something about the truck clicked in the back of her mind. Something familiar. She looked at the truck more closely. She recognized the vehicle—the color, the style, the twenty year old paint job. And she froze as it dawned on her who the owner was.  
  
"Oh God…" she said. Her heart was beating quickly now, and she could feel the panic building in her chest. She jumped out of her car, moving down the gentle incline of the ditch to the drivers side of the truck, almost afraid of what she would find.  
  
"Oh God… Luke…"  
  
TBC… 


	3. Rescue

Accidents and I Love Yous  
  
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own the Gilmore Girls, or any of the characters, or any of the brilliant plot ideas. Please don't sue me. I don't have any money to speak of, so it would be disappointing.  
  
Rating: PG-13, maybe… maaaaaybe R…  
  
A/N: Thanks for all of the great reviews! I'm glad that everyone is enjoying the story! Here's chapter 3…  
  
Chapter 3: Rescue  
  
Lorelai found herself praying—something she rarely did—as she reached for the handle of Luke's truck. She could see Luke's still form through the window and she found herself thinking the unthinkable.  
  
That he was dead.   
  
But she pushed those thoughts away and pulled open the door. Tears sprang to her eyes as she saw him there, his eyes closed, a bloody washrag in his limp hand.  
  
"Oh God," she said again, breathing quickly.   
  
She had to stay calm. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to control her rising panic, Lorelai forced herself to concentrate. She had taken a first aid class years ago. Right after Rory was born. It had been a lame attempt on her part to try and regain control of her life—to get a grasp on something in a world that was spinning out of control.  
  
She remembered little of the class now, of course, but the basics were still there. She reached out with a shaky hand, holding her fingertips centimeters above Luke's mouth.  
  
And she felt it. The flutter of air moving against her fingers. Lorelai let out a breath she hadn't even known she had been holding.  
  
He was breathing. He was alive. And her tears began to fall.   
  
Lorelai's eyes traveled over Luke's still form, looking for any obvious injuries. She stopped when she saw the cut on his forehead. The wound was large, stretching from his left temple to just above his left eyebrow. It was still bleeding a little, but not nearly as much as it had been, if the bloody rag in Luke's hand was anything to go by.  
  
Lorelai shuddered. She hated blood. Hell—she had barely been able to bandage Luke's hand a couple weeks ago, when he had cut it on her window.  
  
But even worse, she couldn't stand the sight of Luke so vulnerable. So helpless.  
  
She was the helpless one. Not him. She was the one who lost it every time something went wrong in her life. And he was the one she ran to. He was the strong one.  
  
But not tonight. Tonight, he needed her to be strong for him.  
  
Cautiously, ignoring the tears that had started to stream down her face, Lorelai crouched down next to the open door, reached forward again to rest her hand on Luke's cheek.  
  
"Luke?" Lorelai whispered, her voice wavering. "Can you wake up for me?"   
  
She paused, watching his face for a reaction. Luke remained silent, and a small sob escaped her lips. She stroked his cheek with her thumb. "God, Luke… This really isn't a good time to be stubborn."  
  
Suddenly, Luke's eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, before sliding shut again. Lorelai moved closer to him, encouraged by the reaction.  
  
"Good…" she said softly, sniffing back her tears. "Listen. I'll make you a deal. If you wake up now, I'll give up coffee. Forever. You know what a big sacrifice that is for me." Lorelai paused. "But I know how much it bugs you. So I'll do it for you. I promise. Just open your eyes."   
  
For a moment, Luke remained motionless. But slowly, his eyes opened. He blinked, focusing on his surroundings as he tried to remember where he was.  
  
"Lorelai?" He asked, his voice rough. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Hey…" Lorelai said softly, moving her hand down his cheek as she wiped away her tears. "Welcome back to the world of the living."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Luke asked, pushing himself up in the seat. He winced, and reached up to touch his injured forehead.  
  
"You had an accident. I was driving back from Hartford—"  
  
"What?" Luke asked, his voice rising. "You were driving? The weather was terrible… you could've gotten hurt!" Lorelai rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the relief she felt at his angry words. If Luke felt good enough to scold her for driving in bad weather, then his injuries couldn't be that bad.  
  
"You're one to talk, Mr. Roadside Assistance." She replied. "I saw your truck in the ditch. And, being the wonderful friend that I am, I decided to stop and help you out, rather than leave you out here for the wolves."  
  
"There aren't any wolves in Connecticut," Luke muttered testily. Lorelai ignored the comment, glad, at least, that her attempt at humor had disguised the fear in her voice. Despite Luke's macho man act, she knew that he must have been shaken by what he had been through. The last thing he needed was to deal with her hysterics. He didn't need to worry about how she felt when she saw him through the truck window.  
  
When she thought that he was dead.   
  
The thought still made her shudder, and she shook it away quickly. "Are you okay?" She asked.  
  
"Never better," Luke muttered, gritting his teeth as he unbuckled his seatbelt.  
  
"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked. "Can you move your legs? Is your neck broken? How many fingers am I holding up?" Lorelai raised her hand, two fingers extended, only to be greeted with a frown from Luke. "Fine," Lorelai continued, realizing that she was babbling. "No paralysis. No broken neck. No double vision. At least let me look at your head," she said, reaching towards him.  
  
"It's fine," Luke said. "I just have a headache."  
  
"Luke… you were passed out for God knows how long before I got here. Your forehead is swollen. You're bleeding. I don't think that counts as being fine."  
  
Luke muttered something under his breath, but again Lorelai ignored him. "I think I should take you to the hospital," she said.  
  
"No!" Luke said loudly. "It's not that bad."  
  
"But—" Lorelai started.  
  
"Don't even think about it," Luke cut her off. "It stopped bleeding anyways." He pressed a finger to the wound and pulled it away to illustrate his point.   
  
Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Gross," she grumbled.  
  
Luke slowly slid to the edge of the seat, moving to stand up. Lorelai reached for his arm to steady him as he stood up. He wavered slightly, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on his arm.  
  
"Luke…" She began again. "Are you sure that you don't need to go to the hospital?"  
  
He nodded, though his face was pale and drawn. "I hate the hospital."  
  
"I know you do. I remember. But you could have a concussion. Or…you know…internal bleeding or something."  
  
Luke snapped at her, exasperated. "I don't, okay? I'm fine. I just want to go home." He paused, wincing again as he brought a hand up to rub his temple.  
  
"I'm sorry," Lorelai said softly, stung by the harshness of his words. "I'm just worried about you. You had me scared there for a few minutes."  
  
Luke's face softened, touched by her concern. He reached up to rest his hand on hers, where it was still wrapped around his arm. "I know. I'm really okay. I just need to go home, take some tylenol, and put some alcohol on this cut. I can call about the truck in the morning."  
  
Lorelai narrowed her eyes suspiciously, studying him for any sign that he was lying to her. Finding none, she nodded.   
  
"Fine. But I have one condition."  
  
Luke groaned. "Lorelai…"  
  
"This is non-negotiable," she said, looking at him sternly. "You're staying with me tonight."  
  
"Oh, come on. I told you I'm fine." Luke said.  
  
"And I'm sure you are," she said. "But you could still have a concussion. Don't you ever watch ER? A couple weeks ago, there was this episode, where Dr. Carter had a patient with a head wound. He decided that it was minor—no concussion or anything. But his diagnosis was wrong. The patient fell asleep that night, and never woke up."  
  
Luke stared at Lorelai in disbelief as she relayed this information, her eyes wide, her hands flailing about excitedly.  
  
"ER?" Luke said.  
  
"My point is, I don't want you to die in the middle of the night. I want to be able to check up on you. According to Dr. Carter, it's important to check up on a patient with a concussion at least once every few hours.  
  
Luke continued to stare at her, trying to hold back a smile. "So, you're giving me medical advise from an overdramatic, unrealistic television show…"  
  
Lorelai looked at him, shocked. "Of course. Where else would I get my medical advice? Dr. Carter is the most talented ER doctor on Must-See TV."  
  
Luke rolled his eyes, ignoring her last comment. "I don't have a concussion."  
  
"You probably don't," she agreed. "But will you just do this for me?" Lorelai asked, her voice serious. "It'll make me feel better." She stuck her bottom lip out, pouting, and Luke's heart melted, just like it always did with Lorelai.  
  
"Fine. If it'll make you happy..." he replied reluctantly.  
  
"It will." Lorelai smiled.  
  
"...And as long as I'm not intruding…" Luke said slowly.  
  
"On what?" Lorelai laughed. "Rory's at school. Sookie and Jackson are busy with Davey. My parents aren't talking to me. Jason and I broke up. I'm all alone in a big, scary house. I'd appreciate the company. In fact, I'm beginning to think that there's a ghost living in the downstairs bathroom, and I have to admit that it's freaking me out a little—"  
  
"What?" Luke asked.  
  
"Yeah… sometimes I hear something thumping around in there. I know. You're probably going to say that it's just the wind, or a mouse, or something logical like that. But I don't think it is—"  
  
"No," Luke interrupted, shaking his head. "Not the ghost. Jason. You broke up?"  
  
Lorelai rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. "Oh yeah… that. Just one part of a long, long story. I'll tell you later." She gestured to her Jeep. "Right now, though, you need to get out of the rain, and into some dry clothes. And I want to clean up that cut. I've gotta be honest with you… it's grossing me out."  
  
Luke stared at her for a few seconds, before she tugged on his arm, leading him up to her car.  
  
They had broken up. Luke considered this as he climbed into the passenger's side of the car. He couldn't help the feeling of relief that came with this information. He had never liked her boyfriends. Chris. Max. Alex. And he'd never met Jason, but he was pretty sure that he wouldn't have liked him, either.  
  
But was it really that he didn't like her boyfriends? Or did it bother him more that, through all of the years they'd known each other—through all of the men she'd dated—she'd never given him a second glance?  
  
"You okay?" Lorelai asked, interrupting his thoughts as she climbed into the driver's seat next to him. "You look upset.  
  
"I'm fine. My head just hurts a little."   
  
Lorelai smiled sympathetically. "Well, in about ten minutes we'll be home, you can lie down, and we'll put some ice on it."   
  
Luke nodded as Lorelai backed up and drove around the fallen tree. They drove in silence, Luke distracted by the pounding ache in his temple, and Lorelai focused on getting him to Stars Hollow as soon as possible.  
  
Finally, they pulled into her driveway, and Lorelai jumped out of the car, moving to the passenger's side to help Luke.   
  
"I can get out of the car on my own," he muttered as she reached out for his arm.  
  
"Oh, stop being such a baby and let me help you for once," Lorelai muttered, wrapping her arm around his waist as he got out of the car.   
  
Luke paused, looking down at her arm around his waist, steadying him... moving his eyes up to study her face. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she tried to navigate her way to the front door while supporting him and simultaneously digging around in her purse for the house keys.   
  
And for a moment as he watched her, he couldn't breath.   
  
She was beautiful.  
  
"Lorelai?" He asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah?" She replied, preoccupied as she struggled to unlock the front door. Luke continued to watch her, not quite sure now what he had wanted to say. After several seconds passed in silence, she looked up at him. "You alright?" She asked again, concerned at his silence.  
  
Luke nodded, sighing as the moment disappeared. "Yeah. I just wanted to say… thanks."   
  
Lorelai beamed back at him. "No problem. Now come inside."  
  
TBC…  
  
A/N: Well, I hope everyone liked the chapter… Sorry if it was a bit lengthy, or overdramatic... I'm moving on to the fluffiness in future chapters, so brace yourselves. If you're looking for something to read between updates, check out my other fics. (I know… shameless plug. Sorry. I couldn't stop myself…) And as always, reviews are appreciated!! 


	4. A Realization

Accidents and I Love Yous  
  
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own the Gilmore Girls, or any of the characters, or any of the brilliant plot ideas. Please don't sue me. I don't have any money to speak of, so it would be disappointing.  
  
Rating: PG-13, maybe… maaaaaybe R later on….  
  
A/N: Here's chapter four! Thanks for all of the reviews!!  
  
Chapter 4: A Realization  
  
"You go lie down on the couch," Lorelai instructed as she led Luke into the house. "I think I can scrounge up some dry clothes that'll fit you."  
  
Luke nodded, lowering himself slowly onto her couch, watching her as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom.  
  
"I can't guarantee that it'll be flannel, though," Lorelai called from upstairs. Luke chuckled despite himself. She returned quickly, tossing him an oversized white t-shirt and a pair of black boxers, which were, Luke quickly noticed, covered with small, yellow smiley faces. He shot Lorelai a look.  
  
"I know. Not exactly your style. Rory gave them to me as a gag gift at my bachelorette party…" Lorelai trailed off, and Luke averted his eyes from hers at the mention of her wedding. "Obviously, that didn't turn out like I planned," Lorelai muttered. There were several seconds of awkward silence before Lorelai spoke again. "So I'll let you get changed, and I'll be right back with some stuff for your head." She retreated quickly.  
  
Luke sighed, staring at the smiley face boxers. Slowly, groaning at the stiffness that was beginning to develop in his muscles, Luke stripped off his rain-soaked clothes, and pulled on the boxers and t-shirt.  
  
With another groan, he lowered himself down onto the couch again, stretching out his legs, and trying in vain to ignore the pounding in his head, which had been worsening steadily since he had regained consciousness in his truck. He was going to be a wreck in the morning.  
  
As Luke waited for Lorelai to return, his eyes traveled around her family room, taking time to study her belongings—pictures of her and Rory, knick-knacks that, no doubt, had some crazy stories behind them. He was slightly surprised at how natural it felt to be in her house, surrounded by her things—to be a part of her life.   
  
Kind of.  
  
Sure, he was here all the time, fixing one thing or another, helping her out when work at the Inn overwhelmed her. But he hardly ever came without a reason.  
  
Or, more accurately, without an excuse.  
  
He sank further into the couch, breathing deeply. He inhaled again, realizing that, if he tried hard enough, he could catch a whiff of Lorelai's perfume. He was also fully aware that he was acting like a love-sick teenager.   
  
But he was love-sick. Had been for years.   
  
Luke closed his eyes, the faint smell of Lorelai's perfume and the exhaustion of the day slowly lulling him to sleep. In the back of his mind, a voice told him to stay awake—at least until Lorelai came back.   
  
But his body thought otherwise, and after a few long minutes spent struggling to fight it, Luke gave up. What could it hurt to rest his eyes for a few minutes, anyways?  
  
Upstairs, Lorelai was busily digging through her medicine cabinet, searching for bandages. She was relieved to be home. The panic of the night was finally wearing off, and she was exhausted.  
  
But the fear was still there.  
  
The fear of what could have happened, if she hadn't shown up when she did. Or if the accident had been worse. Lorelai shook her head, trying to focus on something else. She knew that she was hanging onto her composure by a thread. In fact, she was surprised that she had made it this long without having a complete breakdown.   
  
"Don't cry…" She said under her breath. She had to hold it together for about twenty minutes longer—enough time to get Luke cleaned up. She repeated the matra silently.  
  
Don't cry.   
  
Don't cry.   
  
Don't cry.  
  
She took a deep breath, but a few tears slipped down her cheeks, despite her best efforts to hold them back.   
  
"Where are the damned bandages?" She muttered, swearing under her breath. Finally, she found several large bandages, buried behind a large box of nail polish. She grabbed them, sniffing back her tears, and headed downstairs.  
  
"Not to worry," she said, walking back into the family room. "The doctor is here."  
  
Lorelai paused when she saw Luke on the couch, and she smiled. He was sprawled out, his mouth open slightly, his arm hanging limp over the side of the couch. He was breathing deeply, slowly, and she realized that he was asleep.  
  
She approached him quietly, kneeling down on the floor beside the couch. She studied him for several minutes in silence, realizing that she rarely had an opportunity to just look at him. Sure, she saw him every day at the diner.   
  
But did she ever really see him? His skin? His eyes? His smile?   
  
She took it all in now, surprised at how he affected her. She again found herself crying, and this time, she couldn't hold back the tears.  
  
So she sat there, kneeling by Luke, and allowed herself to cry—to release the emotions that she had been holding back since she had found Luke's truck on the side of the road.   
  
Eventually, her tears died down, and she wiped her cheeks roughly. She glanced up at Luke, relieved to see that he hadn't woken up.  
  
She grabbed a few cotton balls and a bottle of rubbing alcohol that she had found upstairs. After pouring a small amount of alcohol onto a cotton ball, she reached up, dabbing at Luke's cut. He grimaced in his sleep, no doubt feeling the sting of the alcohol, and Lorelai frowned. She continued to clean the wound gently, biting her lower lip in concentration as she tried to cause him as little pain as possible. She paused though, when she realized that Luke's eyes were open.  
  
"Hey," he said softly, his voice slurred by sleep.  
  
"Hey yourself," Lorelai replied, returning the cotton ball to his cut.  
  
Luke winced. "That hurts," he mumbled, pulling away slightly.  
  
"I bet," she responded. "But the cut isn't very deep," she murmured. "You shouldn't need stitches or anything. Now, hold still. I'm almost done." She dabbed at the cut a few more times, before reaching for a bandage and pressing it delicately over the cut. "Sorry," she said sympathetically. "No Barbie band-aids today."  
  
Luke chuckled. "I think I'll live." Lorelai pressed down on the bandage once more, making sure that it was secure. Then, without thinking about it, she leaned down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. She lingered for several seconds, her lips warm against his skin, and Luke felt his heart skip a beat.  
  
He was hopeless. Completely hopeless. He sighed as Lorelai pulled away, disappointed. her eyes meeting his.  
  
"Okay?" She asked, her eyes meeting his. Luke nodded, clearing his throat.  
  
"What about you?" He asked, studying her face.  
  
Lorelai looked at him, confused at the concern in his eyes. "I'm fine… But then again, I wasn't the one who crashed my car into a tree…"  
  
"You've been crying," Luke stated, ignoring her attempt at humor. He reached up slowly, touching the dampness that still lingered on her cheeks.  
  
Lorelai hesitated, surprised that he had noticed. Lorelai looked away self-consciously, and tried to come up with a believable excuse for her tears. But, as Luke's eyes found hers, her mind went blank.  
  
"You scared me today," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Luke's hand moved to the other side of her face, wiping away the last remnants of tears, reveling in the feel of her skin under his fingertips.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, absently stroking her skin with his thumb.  
  
Lorelai barely shook her head. "Don't be sorry. I'm just glad that you're okay." She returned her focus to the warmth of his hand on her face. Without a word, she bent down, wrapping her arms awkwardly around his chest. Luke hesitated for only a second, before returning her embrace, his eyes closing at the wave of emotions that swept over him unexpectedly.  
  
"God," Lorelai murmured into his chest. "It seems like all I do lately is lose it around you."  
  
"Don't worry about it." Luke said. "Anything for you."  
  
And for a brief moment, Lorelai had an overwhelming urge to kiss him. The feeling caught her off guard. This was Luke, after all. Her best friend. She'd never felt like this with him.  
  
Okay—maybe once or twice she'd thought about kissing him…   
  
…Maybe more than that.  
  
But she'd never felt like this. Not with Luke. Not with anyone.  
  
And it frightened her.  
  
Lorelai pulled away, frowning. But she smiled when Luke's eyes met hers. Those deep, blue eyes…  
  
"You're tired," she said abruptly.   
  
Luke frowned. "Yeah…" he said, his brow furrowing at the sudden loss of contact.   
  
"I'll grab you some Tylenol and some ice for your head," Lorelai said, quickly getting up and retreating to the kitchen.   
  
She returned several minutes later, placing a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water on the coffee table, then gently resting an ice pack, wrapped in a towel, on Luke's forehead.  
  
"Thanks," Luke said, reaching up to hold the ice pack. Inadvertently, his fingers brushed against her arm, and he felt a shiver of electricity shoot through his body.  
  
Lorelai felt it too, and jerked her arm away, more abruptly than she had meant to. Luke looked up at her, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. She berated herself for being so jumpy around him, and wondered why, in fact, she had suddenly become so nervous.  
  
"Get some rest," Lorelai said quickly, averting her eyes from his. "I'll come down to check on you in a couple hours."  
  
Luke watched her as she headed upstairs, feeling suddenly depressed.  
  
In the back of his mind, he had always hoped that Lorelai might return his feelings. Not that he had ever seen any real sign of it. And he had never had the courage to come right out and ask her how she felt.  
  
He hadn't wanted to ruin their friendship. But after her behavior tonight, he realized that he wouldn't have to worry about that. Obviously, Lorelai didn't have feelings for him beyond friendship. Hell—she had jumped about ten feet when his hand had brushed against her arm. If that wasn't a bad sign, he didn't know what was.  
  
"Perfect end to a perfect day," Luke muttered. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, hoping that he would be able to fall asleep, and hoping that he wouldn't dream about Lorelai.  
  
Upstairs, Lorelai collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow.  
  
What the Hell was going on? What had just happened?   
  
But she knew. Deep down, she had always known.  
  
Without thinking, Lorelai grabbed her phone, dialing Rory's number at Yale. After several rings, Lorelai heard Rory pick up.  
  
"No one's here," Rory mumbled, her voice muffled.  
  
"Rory, it's me." Lorelai said, her voice low.  
  
"Mom…" Rory whined. "It's past midnight. I'm sleeping. Why aren't you sleeping?" She hesitated, her voice growing suspicious. "And why are you whispering?"  
  
"I'm in crisis," Lorelai said, her voice urgent.  
  
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Lorelai heard rustling as Rory sat up in bed. "Okay. What happened?" Rory asked. She could sense the seriousness in her mother's voice, and decided that it wasn't the time for sarcasm.  
  
Lorelai took a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with Luke."  
  
TBC…  
  
A/N: Well… that chapter ended up somewhere I wasn't planning… funny how that works. But I still like it, and I hope that you guys do, too. The next chapter should be up in a few days… I'm going to be busy over the weekend, but I'll do my best. 


	5. The Decision

Accidents and I Love Yous  
  
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own the Gilmore Girls, or any of the characters, or any of the brilliant plot ideas. Please don't sue me. I don't have any money to speak of, so it would be disappointing.  
  
Rating: PG-13, maybe... maaaaaybe R later on....  
  
A/N: Here's chapter five! Sorry, it's shorter than the rest...hope you like it!  
  
Chapter 5: The Decision  
  
There was silence for a moment, as Lorelai waited impatiently for Rory's response.  
  
"What?" Rory said finally, the shock evident in her voice. "Luke?"  
  
"Luke." Lorelai confirmed.  
  
"Our Luke?" Rory asked.  
  
"Yep," Lorelai replied.  
  
"Flannel shirt, backwards baseball cap Luke?"  
  
"That's the one," Lorelai nodded.  
  
"Wow," Rory said.  
  
"Wow?" Lorelai scoffed. "All you can say is wow? You've got to give me more than that! This is a life changing event. This is huge. Monumental—"  
  
"I get the picture," Rory said quickly, cutting her mother off.  
  
"I don't know..." Lorelai said, more to herself than to Rory. "Is this a good thing? I mean, Luke's one of my best friends. Anything deeper might ruin that. But..." Lorelai sighed. I don't know what to do. The man is downstairs on my couch. I'm not going to be able to talk to him. Now I have 'feelings'." Lorelai emphasized the word. "Feelings make everything all awkward..."  
  
"Wait," Rory interrupted. "Luke is on your couch?"  
  
"Yeah. Downstairs." Lorelai replied, like she couldn't even believe it herself. "He's slumbering away, with no idea that the crazy lady upstairs is in love with him."  
  
"So...why is Luke on your couch?" Rory asked, confused.  
  
Lorelai hesitated, realizing that she should have told Rory about the night's events sooner. She immediately felt bad. "Luke was in an accident, hon," Lorelai said softly.  
  
"Oh my God!" Rory said, her voice rising. "Is he okay?"  
  
"He's fine," Lorelai reassured her quickly. "It's a long story, but the weather was terrible tonight, and he ran his truck into a tree. But he's only got a few sore muscles and a big cut on his forehead."  
  
Rory breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." She paused. "You're sure he's okay?"  
  
Lorelai smiled, touched by her daughter's concern. "He's fine, sweetie. Believe me. I asked about twenty times."  
  
"Okay," Rory said finally. "But that still doesn't answer my question. Why's he on your couch?"  
  
"Because," Lorelai said, as if it was obvious. "He's Luke. He refused to go to the hospital. So I made him stay here. You know... in case anything went wrong."  
  
"Oh. Makes sense," Rory said.  
  
"He's very stubborn." Lorelai stated.  
  
"This is true," Rory agreed. "So... Luke came to stay on your couch, and now you're in love with him."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"It seems like there's some pertinent information missing here..." Rory said.  
  
Lorelai let out a frustrated sigh. "I was getting him an ice pack. For his head."  
  
"Ooh! To prevent bruising. That first aid class finally paid off!" Rory chimed in.  
  
"I told you it would," Lorelai continued. "So anyways, Luke reached up to hold the ice pack to his head. And he touched my arm!"  
  
Rory waited for her mother to continue, but she didn't.  
  
"Was that the end of the story?" Rory asked. "Because if it was, I'm not impressed."  
  
"No!" Lorelai exclaimed. "When he touched my arm, I felt it!"  
  
"It?" Rory asked. "What's it?"  
  
"It. What you feel when you're in love." Lorelai responded.  
  
"Oh... that it."  
  
"Except this was different," Lorelai explained.  
  
"Different how?"  
  
"Just...different." Lorelai recalled the incident, the moment Luke's hand had brushed her arm. "Different than with anyone else. Better."  
  
"I see," Rory said, smiling. "I have to say, it's about time."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Lorelai asked defensively.  
  
"Well, no offense, Mom, but I've seen this coming for a long time. So has Sookie. Miss Pattie. Babette. Actually, the whole town has."  
  
"What?" Lorelai asked, shocked.  
  
"Yeah... It's pretty obvious to just about everyone except you guys. With the cute little fights at the diner. And he's always over here helping out. Not to mention the fact," Rory continued, "that he loaned you thirty thousand dollars. People who are 'just friends' don't do that—"  
  
"Wait..." Lorelai said. "How did you know about the thirty thousand dollars?"  
  
"That's not the point, right now," Rory replied.  
  
"Fine." Lorelai frowned. Rory did have a point. Maybe her feelings for Luke had been there all along...she'd just never noticed before.  
  
"So what should I do?" Lorelai asked.  
  
"Well, I have one question," Rory said. "What do you really want?"  
  
Lorelai hesitated, thinking of how to answer. "I want Luke," she said finally.  
  
"Then you should tell him," Rory replied.  
  
"But what if he doesn't want me?" Lorelai asked, more frightened by the thought than she had realized.  
  
"He does, Mom," Rory replied confidently.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Definitely. I've watched you two my whole life. The way he looks at you, the things he's done for you..." Rory grinned. "There's no question."  
  
Lorelai smiled at Rory's words. "Okay. Then I'll tell him."  
  
"Good," Rory replied. "Now, can I please go back to bed?"  
  
Lorelai laughed. "Yeah. Go. Sorry I got you up so late."  
  
"No problem. Call me tomorrow?" Rory asked. "I want details."  
  
"Will do. Night, Sweets."  
  
"Night. Oh, Mom?" Rory said, right before hanging up.  
  
"Yeah?" Lorelai asked.  
  
"I'm happy for you."  
  
"Thanks, babe." She smiled.  
  
Lorelia hung up the phone, nervousness already building in the pit of her stomach. Her mind was already racing, thinking of things that could go wrong. What if Luke didn't feel the same way? What if things didn't work out?  
  
What if—  
  
But Lorelai was sick of what-ifs. She had to take the risk. She had to tell him.  
  
And, she decided, she had to do it now, before she lost her nerve.  
  
With a deep breath, she left her room and walked slowly downstairs, to where Luke lay sleeping on the couch.  
  
TBC...  
  
A/N: Well, I hope you guys liked this. I don't know whether I have Rory's character down very well, but I tried! Please review. 


	6. Finally

Accidents and I Love Yous  
  
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own the Gilmore Girls, or any of the characters, or any of the brilliant plot ideas. Please don't sue me. I don't have any money to speak of, so it would be disappointing.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
A/N: Here's chapter six! Let me know what you think!!   
  
Chapter 6: Finally  
  
Lorelai navigated her way silently through the dark family room to where Luke lay, still fast asleep on the couch. She kneeled down beside him, watching him as he slept—his chest rising and falling rhythmically, his face illuminated in the moonlight.  
  
How could she have gone so long without realizing she loved him? The thought amazed her.  
  
Silently, she reached up, placing a hand gently on Luke's forehead, testing the temperature of his skin, and taking advantage of the opportunity to touch him. His forehead was warm, and she could feel the warmth slowly moving up her fingertips to encompass her.  
  
How had they gotten to this point? They had wasted so much time—so many years—with people who weren't right for them. Lorelai with—well, more guys than she cared to admit.   
  
And Luke with Rachel and Nicole.  
  
Nicole—  
  
Lorelai jerked her hand away from Luke's forehead. Nicole. How could she have forgotten about Nicole?  
  
Luke was still married.  
  
The thought made Lorelai sick. She was furious at herself for not thinking of it before. For not remembering. For getting her hopes up about a relationship with Luke.  
  
Sure, she could go ahead and say what she was feeling—leave the final decision up to Luke. But she couldn't expect him to drop everything—to end his marriage—because she had finally realized she loved him. Luke wasn't the kind of guy who would do that.  
  
And it wasn't exactly her style to make a play for a married man.  
  
Lorelai rose slowly, moving to a chair across the room. She sat down dejectedly, resisting the urge to cry or to run upstairs and call Rory again. With a soft moan, she leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and tried to think of anything other than Luke Danes and his wife. His relationship with Nicole had always bothered Lorelai, though she hadn't known why at the time. But now… now that she knew she was in love with him…she didn't know if she'd be able to handle it.  
  
"Lorelai?"  
  
Lorelai's head snapped up at the sound of Luke's voice. She was surprised that he was awake, but when she looked over at him, she smiled despite herself. His hair was sticking out in odd directions, and his eyes were only halfway open, squinting against the moonlight coming in through the windows.   
  
"Hey," Lorelai said, holding back a laugh, and at the same time pushing back a turmoil of emotions. "Looking good," she said, gesturing to his hair.  
  
Luke grunted. "Yeah. I bet." He moved to sit up, groaning at the pain the movement caused.  
  
"You okay?" Lorelai asked, concerned.  
  
He nodded. "Every muscle in my body hurts." Luke smiled wryly. "It's almost like I ran my truck into a tree or something."  
  
Lorelai laughed. "Imagine that!" She watched him in silence as he gingerly adjusted his position on the couch. "How's the head?"  
  
"Amazingly, it's the only part of my body that doesn't hurt right now." Luke paused. "So what are you doing up?" He asked.  
  
"Checking up on you, as promised," Lorelai replied. "And I'm happy to see that you didn't die in your sleep."  
  
"So am I," Luke said. He looked at her skeptically. "That's the only reason you're awake?"  
  
Lorelai rolled her eyes at him, not sure whether she should be annoyed or touched at how well he could read her. "I guess I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Bad day?" He asked.  
  
"Not quite as bad as yours, but definitely a close second." Lorelai hesitated, thinking about the real reason she had come down to see him tonight. She frowned.  
  
"Wanna talk about it?" Luke asked, sensing that she was upset about something.  
  
"Wow," Lorelai said, avoiding his question. "You want to discuss my problems? Voluntarily? You're a lot nicer in the middle of the night…"  
  
"No… I'm being nice because this doesn't involve a problem with coffee, or with what happened on the latest episode of Alias."  
  
Lorelai scoffed. "Those are important problems too, you know."   
  
"Whatever you say," Luke said. "Seriously, though. I'm all ears." Luke's eyes met hers. "Did something bad happen at your parents' tonight?"  
  
Lorelai looked back for several seconds, realizing that he had remembered her comments from earlier that night—about her parents, and about Jason.   
  
"When hasn't something bad happened at my parents' house?" Lorelai finally responded, smiling slightly. "It was the normal excitement. My parents weren't talking to each other, so I talked to myself for an hour. Jason showed up, and we all began a riveting conversation about the stock market. And then I broke up with him. You know. The usual. Just a normal Friday night in the life of the Gilmores."  
  
Luke studied her as she spoke. Something was bothering her. Something deeper than a night with her parents or a breakup with some guy. But he could tell that she wasn't going to bring it up.  
  
Luke sighed. "So why'd you break up?" He asked, more curious than he cared to admit.  
  
Lorelai shook her head. "Because it was always work with Jason. Weeknights. Weekends. Movies. Dinner. There was always an important meeting, or a phone call, or a contract that needed to be signed." Lorelai sighed. "He was a great guy. But it just wasn't there."  
  
"It?" Luke asked, confused.  
  
"It. The spark. Like you and—" Lorelai caught herself, just moments before adding an 'I' to her statement. She looked away, flustered. "Like you and Nicole," she finished lamely.  
  
Luke looked at her strangely, and then shook his head. "Yeah. Me and Nicole. There was a match made in heaven."  
  
Lorelai frowned, surprised at the unhappiness in his voice.   
  
"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice coming out more quietly than she had expected.  
  
"Our divorce was finalized today." Luke said flatly.   
  
Lorelai's mouth fell open in shock. And, despite her best efforts, she couldn't quite hide her relief.   
  
He wasn't married.  
  
But then she saw the sadness in Luke's eyes.  
  
"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice soft as she moved to sit beside him on the couch. She paused, confused. "Wait. I thought you went to Hartford to get your truck fixed…"  
  
"I did. I mean… I did that, in addition to a few other things. Like getting a divorce."  
  
"Ooh. Sneaky…" Lorelai said.  
  
Luke rolled his eyes at her. "It just wasn't something I wanted to broadcast to the entire town," Luke said.  
  
Lorelai nodded. "But you could have told me."  
  
He laughed. "What, so you could tell Sookie, who'd let it slip to Babette, who would tell everyone else in town? I don't think so."  
  
Lorelai frowned. "I wouldn't do that. Not with this."  
  
Luke looked over at her, and saw the sincerity in her eyes. He nodded.  
  
"Are you okay with it? The divorce?" Lorelai asked.  
  
Luke sighed. "Yeah. It wasn't working. Like you said about Jason. It just wasn't there to begin with."   
  
Lorelai nodded sympathetically. "So…not the best day."  
  
Luke chuckled. "Yeah. Not really."  
  
They sat in silence for several minutes, Luke with his head resting on the back of the couch, and Lorelai with her eyes focused on an invisible point on the floor.  
  
She knew what she wanted to say.  
  
But she didn't know if she could.  
  
She found herself thinking back to her conversation with Rory earlier that night—to the question that Rory had asked her.   
  
What did she really want?  
  
And her answer was still the same.  
  
Luke.  
  
She wanted Luke.  
  
And she knew that her decision was already made. Hesitantly, Lorelai turned on the couch to face Luke, whose eyes had closed again as he absently massaged his temple. She could tell he was still exhausted.  
  
"Luke?" She asked, hoping that he couldn't hear the fear in her voice.  
  
"Yeah," he replied, not moving from his position.  
  
"Can I tell you something?"  
  
"Mmhmm…" he said.  
  
"I mean," Lorelai continued. "It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Well—since today, anyways. After your accident. And I talked to Rory, and she said to tell you, and I thought, 'now's as good a time as any'…" Lorelai trailed off, watching Luke for a reaction.  
  
"Sure," he said, his eyes still closed.  
  
Lorelai took a deep breath, realizing that, once she said it, there was no going back. And for a moment, she was overcome by fear. After all, she was putting her feelings out there, with no way for Luke to misunderstand what she was saying. And with no way to take it back.  
  
But she had to do it.   
  
And she did.  
  
"I love you." She said, her voice wavering, the fear lessening even as the words left her mouth.  
  
Luke's hand froze on his temple. He paused, not quite sure that he had heard her right. Had she just said she loved him?  
  
He had been hoping to hear those words for so long. He had played out so many scenarios like this in his mind. So many, in fact, that he wasn't quite sure if he was dreaming.  
  
Slowly, he opened his eyes, raising his head to look at her.  
  
And she was real. Sitting there looking at him, her eyes wide, raw with fear. And hope. And, yes—he saw it there as his eyes met hers—love.  
  
He was speechless. He sat there, staring at her, his own eyes wide, his lips parted slightly in shock.  
  
He knew he should say something—knew that he had far surpassed the acceptable time period for a response to such a statement.  
  
But he literally could not speak. He couldn't quite allow himself believe that this was happening.  
  
Luke's silence was less than reassuring. Lorelai looked away, her hand moving to the hem of her shirt, picking at the fabric.   
  
"Right. Just forget I said anything…" she said softly, knowing in her heart that something like this was impossible to forget. Impossible to ignore. "It's okay if you don't feel the same way," she said, sniffing back tears as she stood up.  
  
Shaking himself out of the daze that he had been in, Luke reached out and grabbed her arm. "Lorelai," he said, his own voice soft. "Wait a second." Luke took a deep breath, pulling her down next to him. The whole situation still seemed so surreal. But he wasn't going to let the chance pass him by again.  
  
"I do," he said, realizing even as he said it how stupid it sounded. He had never been great with words, especially where emotion was involved, but he continued, knowing that if he said the wrong thing, he could lose her forever. "I do feel the same way." Luke reached up running a hand along the soft skin of her cheek.   
  
"You do?" Lorelai asked, her voice barely a whisper.  
  
"Of course I do. For a long time, actually. Since I met you."  
  
"Really?" Lorelai asked, shocked by the revelation. "That long?"  
  
Luke nodded.  
  
"Why didn't you say anything?"  
  
He sighed. "Because I didn't know you then. And once I did, I didn't want to screw up our friendship."  
  
"But you're screwing it up now?" Lorelai asked.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah. I am." Slowly, Luke traced the line of her jaw, studying her eyes. He loved her eyes.  
  
"So, you…" Lorelai began, her voice trailing off.  
  
"I love you." Luke smiled. "God… how could I not?"  
  
He looked at her for several long seconds, not even annoyed with himself at the goofy grin that he knew was plastered on his face. And without a word, he leaned towards her, pulling her face to his.  
  
His lips met hers, and everything in his world changed. Kissing her was everything he had imagined. And more. He could feel the tears on her cheeks, the softness of her lips, the whisper of her breath against his skin. And it was amazing. There was no other word to describe it. Amazing.  
  
Lorelai moaned softly, moving closer to him on the couch. She just couldn't shake the realization that she was kissing Luke Danes.   
  
And he was gentle.   
  
Loving.   
  
Perfect.   
  
And it was Luke, she thought again, which made it about twenty times better.  
  
His name kept repeating in her mind, as she felt his hand slowly trailing along her arm to her shoulder, where his fingers tangled in her hair.  
  
Luke. Luke. Luke.  
  
She couldn't believe that she had wasted so much time. That she had hidden her feelings from him, and from herself, for so long. That they had both been missing out on so much happiness.  
  
Reluctantly, Lorelai pulled away, breathless, and met Luke's eyes again.   
  
"Wow." Luke said, his fingers still idly running through the ends of her hair.  
  
"My thoughts exactly," Lorelai agreed, reaching down to grab his hand. Luke glanced down at their joined hands and smiled. "Is this weird?" Lorelai asked, squeezing his hand in hers.  
  
"Not so much," Luke said, smiling.  
  
"I'm glad. I always thought it would be but…" She giggled. "I can't believe you love me. Luke Danes loves me." She paused. "And I love Luke Danes."  
  
Luke smiled, loving the sound of those words coming from her mouth.   
  
"Hi," Lorelai continued, more to herself than to Luke. "Meet my boyfriend, Luke. Luke and Lorelai. Lorelai Danes…"  
  
Luke chuckled, interrupting her. "And you already have us married." She smiled innocently. "Lorelai," Luke continued. "We've never even been out on a date."  
  
Lorelai frowned, realizing that he was right.  
  
Luke took this as his cue, leaning down to kiss away her pout. "So…" he said. "Wanna go out sometime?"  
  
And Lorelai smiled.  
  
TBC…?  
  
A/N: So, did you like it? I hope so. Let me know if you think I should continue, or if it's best to leave the story here. I could go either way… As always, reviews are appreciated!! 


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